Know where to put the camera when and why

“Kick-Ass 2,” Rape Jokes and All, Is Just Dreadful

What’s funny about rape? I’ll tell you. The rapist can’t get it up. Ha, ha! I knew that would win you over. But soft! What light from yonder window breaks? Is it . . . omg . . . a moment when our man turns away to quickly masturbate, but still can’t quite make it? Now that’s comedy!

I must confess that I enjoyed – up to a point – the first film in this series. As violent as Kick-Ass was, It somehow seemed (for me) to get the balance of violence and humor just right, and to keep the violence cartoonish enough to allow one to laugh at it without feeling like a psychopath. In this movie, if you laughed, I seriously think you need help and I will do all I can to avoid you when you walk by. Since you’l be wearing a silly costume and a mask, I’ll know you from afar.

The sequel, however, lacks whatever finesse its predecessor had (and lacks a delightfully hammy Nicolas Cage, whose presence enlivened Kick-Ass). Its young stars – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace-Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse – all have demonstrated a certain appeal in other work – including Kick-Ass, but here seem to have been directed by an angry twelve-year-old.

Wait – what’s funnier than rape? Killing your mother by kicking her tanning machine until it explodes. Or getting your father killed because you let him take the rap for you.

Actually – there was something hilarious in this otherwise dreadful excuse of a movie. At one point, there is a shootout in an obvious Los Angeles suburb, yet all the cars have NYPD emblazoned on their sides. Ha!